Oven

ABSTRACT

A device for heating liquid samples carried in test tubes which are provided on a moving conveyor belt. A second belt has cavities so as to accommodate the test tubes, moves at the same speed with respect to the first belt. A wall which is parallel to the belts has longitudinal grooves through which air of different temperatures can flow. Openings are provided in the conveyor near each test tube, opposite to one of the grooves so that the air in the groove can heat the test tube.

[ 1 May 28, 1974 United States Patent [191 Perilhou et a1.

Crcsccnzo ct a1. 198/165 1 1 OVEN Fleischauer...,........... Auphan Inventors: Jean Robert Perilhou,

Guigan............... Lartigue et a1.

Bourg-Ia-Reine; Michel Joseph Auphan, Courbevoie, both of France 1,152,250 5/1969 Great Britain.................... 34/105 [73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New

York, NY.

[22] Filed:

June 1, Primary Examiner-John J. Camby App]. No: 366,057 Assistant Examiner-Henry C. Yuen Attorney, Agent, or FirmFrank R Trifari [57] ABSTRACT A device for heating liquid samples carried in test 7 9 5 3 2 2 7 m m D m WW .I n .l P m m .me am a hr F p 2 7 mm m 0 e n u J tubes which are provided on a moving conveyor belt.

A second belt has cavities so as to accommodate the test tubes, moves at the same speed with respect to the first belt. A wall which is parallel to the belts has 1ongitudinal grooves through which air of different temz 4 W 50Moo 11 025 3 M5 2 .036 6 in 6 2 3. F5 2/. Mn -w 5 m mmw M e 1% a "2 u-/ m "4 u m m mh "c r. n "8 u e U "S, IL cl 0 m a 5 ind U mm 1 111.. 2 00 5 55 i. .121

peratures can flow. Openings are provided in the conveyor near each test tube, opposite to one of the grooves so'that the air in the groove can heat the test tube.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS McNamaraet a1.

34/105 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 OVEN The invention relates to a heating device for raising the temperature of liquid samples to and maintaining this temperature at a given value. The liquid samples are carried in test tubes which are arranged parallel with respect to each other on a first side of a conveyor belt which is movable in its longitudinal direction.

A device of this kind can be used in conjunction with an automatic analysis apparatus as described in French Pat. specification No. 1,493,438 and French Pat. of Addition No. 93,162. I

For some examinations, such as the analysis of blood which is one of the feasible applications of such apparatus, it must be possible to heat the samples to different temperatures in accordance with the analysis to be performed. The object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which this heating procedure can be readily performed. To this end, the heating device according to the invention is characterized in that at least a part of the length the conveyor belt passes through an oven space which is bounded on the first side of the conveyor belt by a part of an endless belt which is parallel to the conveyor belt. The endless belt is provided with cavities so as to accommodate the test tubes, and are adapted to be moved at the same speed as the conveyor belt. The other side of the oven space is bounded by a wall which is provided with grooves in the side which faces the conveyor belt. The grooves extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, it being possible for air of a given temperature to flow through each of the grooves. At least one opening is provided directly opposite to one of the grooves near each of the test tubes in at least the part of the conveyor belt which is present in the oven space. A perforation device is preferably arranged before the beginning of the oven space in order to provide openings at an area which is dependent of the desired temperature.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a device according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic partly opened plan view of an analysis apparatus in which the device shown in FIG. 1 is incorporated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor belt 1 which accommodates on one thereof test tubes 2 in which samples to be analyzed are present. Such a conveyor belt is known, for example, from said French Pat. specification No. 1,493,438 and French Pat. of Addition No. 93,162. For the sake of clarity, the conveyor belt is only partly shown in FIG. 1. The conveyor belt 1 is provided along its edge with perforations 3 in order to be driven by way of known drums and toothed rollers (not shown). Adjacent to each test tube 2, the conveyor belt can be provided with an information strip 4 which contains, for example, coded data about the patient to be treated and instructions concerning the analyses to be performed.

Part of the length of the conveyor belt 1 passes through an oven space which is bounded on the side of the conveyor belt with the test tubes 2 by an endless belt 5 which is provided with cavities 6. The cavities 6 have, for example, a semicircular shape, their diameter being larger than that of the test tubes 2.

Like the conveyor belt 1, the belt 5 is also provided with perforations 7 over its entire length in order to be driven by two toothed drums 8, only one of which is shown, this drum being rotatable about a shaft 9. The two belts are driven such that they move at the same speed in the oven space. They are in engagement with each other such that each of the test tubes is situated in one of the cavities 6, the opening of which is closed by the conveyor belt 1.

The oven space is bounded on the other side of the conveyor belt by a wall 10 which is made of a thermally insulating material. In the side of the wall 10 which faces the conveyor belt a number (three in FIG. 1) of grooves ll, l2, 13 are provided which extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt over the entire length of the oven space. Air which is preheated to a given temperature can flow through each of these grooves. The temperatures T1, T2, T3 of the air in the various grooves ll, l2, l3, correspond to the optimum reaction temperatures of the principal analyses to be performed. The conveyor belt 1 is provided with openings l4, l5, 16 at the level of one of the grooves. As appears from the Figure, an opening is provided on both sides of each test tube 2, the two openings relating to a test tube being situated at the same level. Via these openings, the cavity 6 communicates with one of the grooves 11-, l2, 13, the openings denoted by 14 establishing a communication with groove 11 so that air of a temperature Tl flows into the cavity 6, whilst the openings 15 provide communication be tween the cavity and the groove 12. (temperature T2), and the openings 16 provide communication with the groove 13 (temperature T3).

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates how the described device can be incorporated in an analysis apparatus. This Figure also shows a third belt 17 which is driven by rollers 18 and which supports reagent tubes 19 which contain reagents as described in said French Patent Specification and Patent of Addition. These specifications also describe devices 20 and 21 for transferring reagents from the reagent tubes 19 to the test tubes Arranged in front of the oven space is a known perforator 23 which can be automatically controlled by means of the instructions provided on the information strips 4, and which makes the openings l4, 15 or 16. As a result, each test tube can be maintained at a predetermined temperature which is ideal for the relevant analysis for a given period of time. This is because the hot air which flows through the grooves 11, 12, 13 penetrates into each cavity 6 via the opening l4, 15 or 16 of the belt opposite to the cavity, and subsequently circulates in this cavity before it is discharged. For the entire duration (a few minutes) of the movement of the belt through the oven space, the opening remains in front of the corresponding groove, so that the time during which the test tube remains at the desired temperature corresponds to the time required by the conveyor belt to complete its passage through the oven space. If samples are concerned which are to be maintained at the room temperature, there is of course no opening at the level of the corresponding test tube, so that the hot air does not penetrate into the cavity about this tube.

If desired, a second wall 10a can be present which bounds a second oven space in conjunction with the already present belt 5.

What is claimed is:

l. A heating device for raising and maintaining the temperature of liquid samples carried in test tubes to a given value comprising a conveyor belt arranged for movement in its longitudinal direction, means carried by said conveyor belt for supporting on one side thereof said test tubes in parallel relationship to each other, an oven space comprising part of an endless belt arranged parallel to said conveyor belt for movement at the same speed as said conveyor belt bounding one side thereof and a wall bounding the other side thereof, said conveyor belt passing through said space between said endless belt and said wall, a plurality of cavities in said endless belt for receiving said test tubes carried on said conveyor belt, a plurality of grooves in said wall facing said conveyor belt and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of said conveyor belt, means for supplying air at a given temperature to each of said grooves, and means associated with each test tube carried by said conveyor belt for communicating with one of said grooves when the part of said conveyor belt carrying the associated test tube'passes through said space so that said test tube will be heated by the air in the groove communicating therewith.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said means on said conveyor for communicating with one of said grooves comprises an opening in said conveyor belt, and further comprising means for making said openings in said conveyor belt at a location thereon so as to communicate with a groove having air at the desired temperature. 

1. A heating device for raising and maintaining the temperature of liquid samples carried in test tubes to a given value comprising a conveyor belt arranged for movement in its longitudinal direction, means carried by said conveyor belt for supporting on one side thereof said test tubes in parallel relationship to each other, an oven space comprising part of an endless belt arranged parallel to said conveyor belt for movement at the same speed as said conveyor belt bounding one side thereof and a wall bounding the other side thereof, said conveyor belt passing through said space between said endless belt and said wall, a plurality of cavities in said endless belt for receiving said test tubes carried on said conveyor belt, a plurality of grooves in said wall facing said conveyor belt and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of said conveyor belt, means for supplying air at a given temperature to each of said grooves, and means associated with each test tube carried by said conveyor belt for communicating with one of said grooves when the part of said conveyor belt carrying the associated test tube passes through said space so that said test tube will be heated by the air in the groove communicating therewith.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said means on said conveyor for communicating with one of said grooves comprises an opening in said conveyor belt, and further comprising means for making said openings in said conveyor belt at a location thereon so as to communicate with a groove having air at the desired temperature. 